Is neonatal antiretroviral therapy a risk factor for NEC occurrence?

An association between maternal human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and increased necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) risk has been reported. Viral exposure and maternal antiretroviral therapy have been described as mediators of this risk. We report a preterm patient with delayed meconium passage and subsequent NEC, in which both the above-mentioned mechanisms were excluded, suggesting that neonatal antiretroviral therapy could be the most relevant risk factor for NEC in a susceptible preterm gut.